Car-coupler-centering device



Jan. l, 1929.

A. E. SMALL CAR couPLER CENTE'RING DEVICE Filed N0v.12, 1925 Jill/'en or br/)lL/r E/j/mafl fgorngyv Patented Jan. 1, 1929,

earner ortica.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, UF GAK PARK, LLlNOS, ASSGNOR T0 UNION METAL :PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAG', LLNS, A CGRPORATON OFILLNUIS.

CAR-COUPLER-CEN'IERNG D'EVECE.

Application filed November Reference is had to the accompziinying drawings, which illustrate the preterred term ot the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope ot the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

The invention relates to devices 'ttor retaining a railway car coupler adjacent the longitudinal center line of the car. Such a device assures proper coupling and transmits the impact blow, due to the coupling ot car, directly to the coupler shank and to the drai't gear without causing lateral stress in the coupler head or shank, thus reducing broken coupler knuckles and guard arms. Such a device. eliminates the necessity ot trainmen going between the cars to move the coupler to such a position that it will couple upon impact with another coupler. rthis feature reduces accidents to trainmeu and also ininimizes the time required to couple cars.

In the drawings:

The left halt of Fig. l shows a part ot a f railway car with my device applied thereon. The right halt oi Fig. l shows a section on line 1 1 ot Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation oit Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is similar to the right halt oi' Fig'. l and shows the coupler out ot normal position.

The striking casting l is att-ached to the center sills 2 in the usual manner and is provided with a tread 3. The coupler 4 rests upon the carriage 5 and is held in the proper relation thereto by the lugs (3. The carriage is provided with a tread 7. Oval shaped rollers 8 are positioned between and engage the tread on the striking casting and the tread on the carriage.

Fig. l shows the coupler and the device in normal position with the minor axis of the roller positioned vertically. llVhen the coupler (and carriage) moves laterally in either direction the oval roller assumes the position similar to that shown in Fig. 3 so that the contacting surface o1"- the roller with the striking casting is not in line with the contacting surface oit the roller with the carriage, therefore, the eccentric load of the coupler and its associated parts tends to return the roller to its normal position and to carry the carriage with it; in other words, return the coupler to the longitudinal center 12, 1925. Serial No. 6,662.

ot the car. Furthermore, with the oval roller this eccentricity is increased as the lateral movement ot the coupler is increased whereby the further the coupler is away trom its central normal portion the greater is its tendency to return thereto. The minor axis of the oval roller is normally positioned vertically so that the eccentric load causes the roller (and the coupler) to return to its normal central position.

ylhe treads on the striking casting and carriage, respectively, may be provided with racks and the oval roller may be provided with teeth which engage the racks to prevent slippage. Any other means to prevent slippage between the treads and the roller may be employed and still come within the broader claims oi' this invention.

l/Vhen teeth are used, as above described and illustrated, their depth is made greater than the vertical distance between the top ot the coupler and the underside oit the striking casting so that whenl the device is assembled and the coupler is in position thereon,I it is impossible for the carriage to move upwardly far enough to permit the teeth ot' the roller 'to become disengaged from the rack on the striking casting. l

lllhen teeth are used it is preferable to position a tooth l0 on thev coupler carriage and a tooth ll on the car member in vertical alignment and opposite the center of the roller and to pro-vide the roller with corresponding central depressions which engage these respective teeth. Also it is preferable to provide spaces between the teeth 12 (or other portions of the roller) on the roller adjacent said depressions and the depressions 13-14 adjacent said teeth (lO-1l) on the carriage and car member, respectively. Such spaces permit unrestricted action ot the teeth l2 (or ther portion) on the roller through a predetermined lateral movement of the coupler. With such an arrangement oi" parts, the coupler (and carriage) is supported by the rollers entirely at the said central depressions when in normal cent-ral position and also during the predetermined amount of lateral movement (preferably in either direction) but upon any additional niovement ot the coupler its weight is entirely shiifted to the teeth l2 on the roller adjacent the central depressions, thereby increasing the eccentricity of the load Jfrom its support and upon still Jrurther additional movew n ment the weight of the coupler shifted to ythe tooth l5 whereby the ecc'entrieity is still further increased.

In the .preferred fo in two rollers lare employed positioned equi-distant on either side of the center line of the coupler. However, only one roller may be used at one end of the carriage to return the coupler to its central position and any'convenient means used to support the opposite end of the carriage or, asingle roller may he positioned adjacent the center of lthe car and the extremities of the carriage otherwise supported to vprevent the device 'from tipping.

l claim:

l. A centering device tor a cai coupler 'coniprisiilg a member provided with a rack, 'a coupler carriage provided with a rack, and an oval toothed roller engaging said treads with its minor axis positioned vertically when the coup-ler carriage is in normal position.

2. A centering device` for a car coupler comprising a member providedwith -a rack, a coupler carriage provided with a. rack, and an oval vroller 4provided with teeth engaging said raols with its minor `axis positioned ver# tically when the coupler carriage is in normal position.

3. In a railway car; the combination lof a car part having a rack, a. coupler carriage having a rack, and a toothed oval roller supporting the carri-age `upon the car part, the rae-lis 'and teeth so arranged that oppositely disposed teeth engage oppositely disposed valleys so as to yentirely support the carriage through a predetermined amount of movement olsai'd carriage, said racks 'and teeth also so arranged that other teeth have unrestricted action through said predetermined m'ov'ein'erit which engage valleys between porting the carriage upon the car part, the

racks and teeth se arranged that oppositely disposed teeth engage oppositely disposed valleys so as to ei'itire'ly support the carriage through a predeterin ned amount of movement oi" said carri 1n either direction, said racks and teeth also so arranged that other teeth have unrestricted action through said r predetermii'ied movement in either direction which engage valleys ybetween other teeth ant entirely support lsaid carriage `through'any additional movement thereof in either 'direction whereby the 'eccentricity of the. load from its support is increased.

5. In a railway oar; the combination oit a car part element, a coupler carriage' element, and a roller supporting said carriage upon said car part, said roller having surfaces -entirelyvsupporti'ng said carriage through apredete'rmined amount of movement of said earriage, said roller also having a portion on each side of each end of said surfaces with unrestricted action through said predetermined movement, one oi said port-ions at ea'ch end 'of the rolle-r engaging said oar part and carriage, respectively, and .entirely supporting said carriage through any additional movement thereof in one direction7 and the vother of said portions engaging the car part and.' carriage, respectively, and entirely support ing said carriage through any additio'iia movement thereof in the oppositejdirection ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

